Convincing the Right Applicants to Apply: an Analytical Framework

The best applicants need convincing to apply.  That’s something not too many people would dispute!  However, it’s always a useful exercise to think through the numbers behind anything we do in business, and this is really no different.

In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday, I explore the "why" behind extra effort to convince top applicants to engage with your recruiting team through data.

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The basic idea is that the bit of effort needed to capture those hard to get candidates pays amazingly high dividends as they move through your hiring funnel much more efficiently.

Think about it this way: if you take the time to write a thoughtful email to a great candidate and they get on the phone with you, there is a super high chance they will become a hire.  Contrast this with your typical inbound applicant and their 2% chance of becoming a colleague.

What's more, most recruiting teams aren't putting in this extra effort—so it's very attainable to get these candidates through better outreach, a better careers site, more thoughtful JDs, and so on.

Curious what tactics people are using to engage this top tier of candidates?